Damon Lavrinc

Solar panels remain a shiny flat wart on the suburban landscape. But BMW wants to change that with a new solar carport concept that's the perfect companion to your ripoff Frank Lloyd Wright bungalow.

Built by BMW's aesthetic thought leaders at DesignworksUSA, the carport concept fits an i3 or i8, and takes inspiration from the two car's construction with carbon fiber joints connecting bamboo woodwork. Glass-on-glass solar panels are installed on top, and are guaranteed to last 30 years, with energy ported into the the BMW i Wallbox to power your iMobile. BMW doesn't say how much energy the panels are capable of collecting (or where they're sourced from), but if you have juice to spare, the Wallbox can send extra energy into your home to keep your iDevices charged.

It's certainly an attractive Bauhaus-meets-California-chic design, but how many i3 or i8 owners will opt for commissioning, permitting, and building this instead of just parking in their heated/cooled/carpeted garage?